Channel combination with two different set-top boxes (1 Viewer)

[sirgaric]

Hello everyone,

My setup is as follows: 2xHauppauge Colossus, each connected to a set-top box. The two set-top boxes are from different providers, but have some common channels (mostly tv series channels like FOX, AXN...). Since they come from different providers the channel numbers are different in each of the set-top boxes.

Is it possible to combine channels? I have tried following the guides, and it works, but sometimes it chooses the wrong channel number when it switches channels in the selected set-top box. Is there any way to fix this or do I need to keep different channels in MP, even if the content is the same?

Hope I make sense, english is not my native language

Cheers,

Jorge

 

[kiwijunglist]

Your English is fine, it sounds like you have successfully combined the two channels into a single channel.

MP will always default to the higher priority card (set top box) if it is available.

Does the problem only occur when tvserver is forced to use the lower priority card (set top box)?

 

[sirgaric]

Yes, when the higher priority card is busy, it goes to the second one, but uses the channel number that was asigned to the first card. Is there any way to fix this? Or is it limitation of the software.

 

[kiwijunglist]

This has happened because developer of the blaster plugin for tvserver failed to anticipate this situation.

I need the following from you.

Please use MP watchdog to run MP in debug mode and manually recreate the situation where the tvserver will record using the lower priority card causing it to blast the wrong channel combination. Then close MP and upload the log files as an attachment to this thread. Instructions here.

There are 2 blaster plugins for tvserver
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_..._Server_Suite)/MP1_Plugins/TV3_Blaster_Plugin
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...Server_Configuration/13_Plugins/ServerBlaster

Which of the above 2 are you currently using?

 

[sirgaric]

Hello again,

Here you have the log attached, thanks a lot for the help.

I am using the TV3 Blaster Plugin. One card is using the Hauppauge Blaster, and the second one is using an standard MCE Blaster. When channels are separated, it works like a charm, very good plugin with a lot of flexibility.

If it helps, I must say that it's the tuning details order in this screen

what determines the channel number to be used. Tuning details with ID 34 originally came from the highest priority card, and the ones with ID 71 from the lowest priority card, but for some reason, in this list the order was just the opposite.

In the test, I started a stream using the card with the lower priority in the cards screen, and then tried to tune AXN HD using Mediaportal. The card with the highest priority was selected since it was free, but it was tuned to the wrong channel, since it used the tuning details with ID 71, that came from the other card.

Now that I read it, this is a complete mess of an example, but I really hope it makes sense!

Thanks again for the help

Jorge

 

[kiwijunglist]

I think you have made a mistake in your description, but i'm not 100% certain. You need to rewrite that to be more specific + clear

 

[sirgaric]

What would be the mistake?

 

[sirgaric]

This is a screenshot of the card list:

Channel AXN HD was originally configured in Card Id 2 with Tuning details Id 34.
Channel AXN HD (D+) was originally configured in Card Id 8 using Tuning details Id 71.

The two channels were then combined, with this result:

For the test, I did the following:

1. With my xbmc client, I tuned a channel that only exists on the card with Id 8 (the card with lower priority)
2. With my test MP client, I tuned the channel that was combined (AXN HD)
3. The result was: card with Id 2 tuned AXN HD, but using the wrong tuning details (Tuning details Id 47, instead of Id 34)

Hope its clearer now!

 

[kiwijunglist]

You previously said it was the tuner that had the lower priority was not blasting correctly.

You are now saying it is only the tuner with the higher priority that is blasting incorrectly, or is the error occurring on both cards?

Attention @Testers - anyone with multiple set top boxes using the blaster plugin can confirm this bug?

 

[sirgaric]

I dont know the inners of MediaPortal service, but I have been taking a look to the database where it stores its data.

The TuningDetails table doesn't have any fields that link each of the Tuning Details to the tuner card they are meant for, only to the channel. When channels are merged, there is no aparent way to link the Tuning Details with the original card, and if this is true, then TV Server doesn't have any way to know what tuning details are the correct ones for the selected card. TV Server will always use the first tuning details entry it finds for the selected card, and in some cases this will be the incorrect one.

Of course if both STB are identical, there is no problem, since they share the same tuning details. But unfortunately this is not my case.